Re: FCC Orders All TV's To Have Digital Tuners By 2007

[Paul Anderson <plandrsn@rcn.com>]

On Friday, August 9, 2002, at 04:58  PM, Ben Gore wrote:

> I vote for manufacturers to produce generic monitors with no built in 
> receiver
> which they can use to interface through standard digital AND analog 
> inputs to a
> variety of sources - computers, DVD players, VHS VCRs, etc. The 
> consumer can then
> "plug in" the appropriate reciver/converter/whatever is needed to 
> receive the
> wanted signal. Nowadays, what's 1 more "box" plugged in in the living 
> room?
>
> At least this way they wouldn't have to throw out the whole unit when 
> technology
> changes and it becomes incompatible.

Wasn't this model tried in the early 1980s?  I always thought it was a 
good idea and would allow maximum flexibility.  Why throw away a 
perfectly good tuner when you want to upgrade to a bigger set?

It would be no more confusing than stereo systems, where some are sold 
as individual components such as amp, tuner, CD player and so on, and 
some are sold as "all-in-one" units (usually the cheaper models).  A 
component system allows you to upgrade one piece without replacing 
everything else, and you can shop for the best value of each component.

I also think the FCC forcing this is a good idea, much like the 
aforementioned requirement for TVs to have UHF tuners.

Paul